The importance of mentorship for career growth

Hey friend,

I was recently speaking with someone who was trying to solve a tough problem and wasn't sure what to do. They were trying things, failing, and then trying something new. As we were talking through their situation and I was providing some advice, I realized something:

Much of my success results from not being afraid to ask for help.

This has changed throughout different stages of my career, but one thing has remained the same: I have mentors I can learn from and turn to for guidance.

As a sales rep starting at a new company, the first thing I would do is learn who the top rep was, and schedule some time with them to see what they were doing differently from everyone else.

As a leader, I had a list of people I would reach out to for different types of advice: leadership, sales, navigating my career, etc...

As an entrepreneur, I've been very intentional about building my network with people at the same level and those ahead of me who I can use as mentors. This includes investing in coaching and masterminds where I can learn a ton from those who have already done what I want to do.

I'll go so far as to say that getting help from people is one of the top two things I credit for all of the success I've created in my 20-year career.

So, in today's newsletter, I'm going to dive into this topic:

• Why mentorship is so important
• What gets in people's way when it comes to doing this right
• How to get started if you don't have great mentors today

Let's dive in friends...

Why is mentorship so damn important, anyways?

There are so many benefits to having great mentors, but here are my top 4:

Inspiration and motivation

When we see others doing what we want to do, it shows us this is possible! Let's take being a woman exec: if the only execs you interact with are older, caucasian men and you're a young, black woman, it's going to be more challenging to see yourself with that seat at the table. Mentors who are representative can really prove that we DO belong.

Emotional and moral support

Sometimes, we need to feel seen and heard, and we can't always get this from our boss or colleagues. Heck, if you're like me, your best friends don't have a job like yours and struggle to really understand what you're going through! A mentor who's been there can support you through your challenges from a place of understanding, and that's just pretty special.

Network and opportunities

I often share that I would never have known about the opportunity that was my first VP role had it not been for a mentor I kept in touch with years after working for them. So often, your mentor will have their own broad network and can introduce you to others who may be able to help you out or even know about new opportunities you'd be a fit for.

Insights and advice

Of course, this is the one we tend to think of when we think about mentors - providing great insights and advice. There's no shortage of advice out there, but getting it from someone who's actually been there and overcome those challenges is where you'll get the true value. I don't know about you, but I always think twice about taking advice from someone who hasn't done 'the thing'. Consider this when choosing a mentor!

What gets in the way?

There are three main mistakes I see people make when it comes to getting mentorship. Two of them are almost opposite sides of the same coin, and both aren't serving you:

Not having the courage to be vulnerable

Let's face it: If you can't openly share that you're getting negative feedback from your manager or you're not sure what the heck you're doing in this new leadership role, it's going to be really hard to help you. I've seen this with colleagues and even managers who have reported to me.

If you want help, you must first be honest about wanting help. The more specific you can be, the more likely you'll get relevant and actionable advice.

Asking too much of your mentor

On the flip side, I've known highly ambitious people who become very high-maintenance mentees, and if this is you, you may find your mentor starting to dodge your calls. Keep your ask reasonable, including the amount of time you expect from your mentor. If you're constantly emailing and texting, they'll associate mentoring you with a negative experience, and you may lose out.

I would say that a monthly call would be the maximum ask of a mentor, and you may even want to go with quarterly. Come prepared with exactly what you want to get out of it so your mentor doesn't feel as though their time is wasted.

Relying too much on the wrong mentors

You can learn something from anyone, but you should also recognize that if someone has a different lived experience, their advice may not always work. Case in point - a longtime mentor of mine was a former boss who was a 6'3, rugby-playing alpha male. Sometimes, the advice he gave was great. Sometimes, it made zero sense for a single mom trying to get promoted to VP.

Consider which mentors you want to use for various challenges you're facing. If you can create a list of people you can reach out to for different advice, you're in a great position, and you won't be overusing any of them.

Now, if you're thinking, 'But I don't have a single female mentor who I can talk to about my career,' I get it! I only reported to a woman for five months of my entire 20-year career. So read on because I may be able to help.

How to get started

I'm going to guess you're convinced that mentorship is hugely valuable, but what if you don't have any great mentors today, or what if you have some great male mentors but want a woman who can really understand your unique challenges and perspective?

Here are some ways you can work on finding that great mentor:

Tap your network and current mentors

That's right. If you have a great male mentor who you really value, first let them know how much you appreciate the guidance they've been able to provide. Then, share your desire to grow your network of mentors and add some women to the list. See if they know someone great like them who they'd be willing to introduce you to. You may just get lucky!

Join groups or engage online

Often, we can meet like-minded people by joining organizations that are meaningful to us or even engaging with people online. Remember that if you're looking for a mentor, start by adding value and having some meaningful dialogue before making an ask. Also, you don't need to say, "Will you mentor me?". Instead, ask if they'd be willing to have a 30-minute virtual coffee with you where you can get their advice and see where that goes.

Join communities or groups

This is something I've done a lot of recently. While I've had no problem meeting business owners at the same stage as me or a little behind, it's been harder to meet people 2-3 steps ahead that I can learn from, so I've decided to invest in masterminds and coaching to fill this gap. Let me tell you, it's paid off 10x.

This is also the part where I share that a big part of my mission is to be this mentor for others because when I was struggling to climb the corporate ladder, I simply didn't have any women mentors to emulate, and this made it so much harder.

Because of this, I've created a group specifically for women who want to make the transition from manager to director to VP. It's been game-changing for many, and you can be a part of it, too!

If you want to learn more about this group, book a call with me and we can see if it feels like a good fit. But at the very least, come to my free masterclass where I share insights on what may be holding you back from your dream promotion today and how I can help you get there.

Until next time, friends... ????

Katy